Having seen the movie more than a few times I was really looking forward to finally seeing Hairspray on the stage and I was not disappointed.

Set in a racially segregated Baltimore in 1962, the plot is more than just a teenage love story.

(Image: Darren Bell)

Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, is on a mission to follow her dreams as she sets out to dance her way onto national TV with 'The Nicest Kids In Town'. Tracy’s audition for the The Corny Collins TV show makes her a local star and soon she is using her new-found fame to fight for racial equality.

Along the way she also wins the heart of her crush, Link Larkin, but this storyline really is secondary to the main action.

Rebecca Mendoza as Tracey Turnblad (Image: Darren Bell)

Newcomer Rebecca Mendoza from the Wirral takes the lead role in her professional debut and had huge support from the audience many of whom were from her former dance school in Hoylake.

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A highlight of the second half saw the pair duet You’re Timeless to Me - cue lots of innuendo and pantomime dame type jokes and general buffoonery. Further hilarity ensued from the failure of one of the props, which set off more comical ad-libbing.

Matt Rixon and Norman Pace

The cast are all fantastic but Layton Williams who plays the role of Seaweed, deserves special mention for not least his athletic dance moves and flips.

There are some stunning vocal performances but for me, Brenda Edwards stole the show in her role as Motormouth Maybelle with belt out performances of I Know Where I've Been and Big, Blonde and Beautiful.

Brenda, who reached the semi-final of the X-Factor back in 2005, has also played Mama Morton in Chicago and Killer Queen in We Will Rock You in the West End.

Brenda Edwards in Hairspray (Image: publicity pic)

With great songs, plenty of lively dance and lashings of humour it had the whole audience on their feet by the end of the finale.

Hairspray the musical is on at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday, April 21.